


Sons of Gods and Kings

by FictionWriterD



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, F/M, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:14:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29412483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionWriterD/pseuds/FictionWriterD
Summary: Humanity has re-embraced the gods of old, and new tales have arisen with their revival.Alexius is the son Hades.  Despised by his father but adored by his mother, Alexius tries to live life as best he can hoping to be with them in the future.Manicus is the son of the Emperor of Greece.  Spoiled rotten he views himself more powerful than even the gods themselves.These two sons are on a collision course with each other, and only one will emerge the better son.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

Between three landmarks, the Temple of Poseidon to the south, the Sanctuary of Aphrodite in the forests tot he north, and the Cape of Matapan even further south, was a town known as Taenarum.

Located south of a Lost City (destroyed long ago during the End of the Old World) was a bustling trade town even on the hottest days. Today was a humid summer day in the town and with the large amount of dust being the main problem on top of the heat. People of the Era of New Hope dressed like they had in antiquity. White shear cloth and simple sandals, almost perfect for this type of weather. Still, people had to shop and people had work to do, and alas the terrible weather was endured.

The heat didn't bother Alexius as much as it probably should have. Dressed in black cloth shorts that reached his knees and a torn tunic that barely covered his heavily muscled chest the young man continued to go through the various shops even as sweat flowed down his upper body. He stopped by his last shop to pick up the last item on his mental list.

'Well, to call it a shop would be too generous," thought Alexius as he approached his destination. The 'shop' was more like a cart that had lost it's wheels long ago. A man with a bushy gray beard came from behind the cart and when he saw Alexius he opened his arms wide as if welcoming him after a long time. "Alexius my boy! Good to see you!"

Setting his rough sack on the ground Alexius didn't return the enthusiastic greeting with anything but a stare and a few choice words. "Patrollus, you better have what I came for."

Patrollus was known in the town for being a sketchy salesman. He was also a notorious gambler, going to the chariot races in Athens whenever he got a gold coin to spare and always returning to Taenarum without anything to show for it. On the side, he also made payments that he swore he would pay off in the future but when it came time to pay he would say he didn't have the coin to pay.

Sketchy, see?

The man smiled, albeit nervously, "Of course, my friend." Going to the back of his wagon the old man brought a small sack and handed it to Alexius. "All accounted for, take a look."

'That's unusual, Patrollus,' Alexius thought with mired suspicion. Still as he looked inside the bag he smirked feeling a bit satisfied. Inside the bag were black seeds he would trade for a personal item to a merchant later. He reached into the bag and got a handful of seeds in his black armored hands. The cestus he wore were made of obsidian and shaped to look like a mean looking canine, no doubt modeled after Cerberus the guardian of the Underworld.

Still, even though he got what he came for, Alexius had the funny feeling there was a catch to this. "You better have gotten this legitimately."

"I assure you on my reputation you will not regret this," said Patrollus.

'Even though I only have one eye I can still see your reputation is nothing to boast about,' Alexius thought. He had a black path of cloth over his right eye, having lost it in a battle in his youth. That wasn't a detriment to his style of nomadic living and he had grown to work with it. "I'll be leaving-"

"Old man!"

Hearing two sets of fast approaching footsteps Alexius sighed before he was pushed aside. Two large muscled men armed to the teeth with weapons approached the cowering old man.

"Lexel? Adrio? W-What can I do for ye?"

The first one, Lexel, was bigger than his brother and with a thick red beard and the stench that came off him was like a sewer. Obviously he hadn't bathed in days and even Alexius' nose twitched in disgust and he held his breath.

"You know what we want old man. Give us what ye stole and we'll be on our way."

"What do you mean-"

Adrio went around his brother and grabbed Patrollus by the tunic with both of his large hands. "Don't play games with us, you codger! The seeds you stole from us in that game we won!"

Alexius stared at Patrollus, realizing how much trouble they were both in now. Patrollus looked to him as if he would save him from this problem.

Not even if Zeus himself told him to.

Alexius shook his head and turned around as Patrollus began to plead his case.

"He bought it off me!"

Groaning loudly Alexius stopped, realizing he had just been pulled into this mess.

Lexel turned and eyed the younger man's back like they were made of fire. "You know anything about this?"

Turning around Alexius didn't even bother putting up a fight. He tossed the bag to the two big men. "It's all still there."

Lexel caught the bag and felt it up. He seemed pleased with it. "Better be," said Lexel who told his brother to let go of the old man and they both left but not before giving a stern warning to Patrollus and shoving him down.

Sighing again Alexius went over to help the old man to his feet. "Should have known you would have stolen what you owed me."

"I ran out of drachmae at the last race-" said Patrollus, not bothering to lie at this point.

"Whatever, Patrollus. One of these days I will not be around to save you and when that happens you'll only have yourself to blame." Feeling frustrated Alexius grabbed his bag and decided to leave before he got physical.

"I swear by the gods that I will give you your gold back. Just let me-"

Alexius threw his bag back over his shoulder. "I'll be back in the future. So make sure you have my drachmae ready by then."

Unable to hold back his glee Patrollus tried to hug the warrior. "Ah, thank you, young man! Were you my son I'd praise you to the gods!"

Shaking the awkward man out of the embrace, Alexius went a few steps forward, "Just stay out of trouble-for as long as possible, anyway."

"Where are you of to? To Athens again?"

With a light sigh Alexius looked in the direction of south, where only two known landmarks were. There was the Temple of Poseidon and the Matapan Caves.

Those caves held a special place to the young man, though he would never answer why.

When darkness fell in Greece, the manor near a lake known as Adonis' Rest, there was a party underway. A party full of people, with food and wine that was abundant and available to everyone in attendance.

And of course, there were the orgies.

There was also debauchery on a scale not seen since the days of the Old World, with stories of the infamous Emperor Caligula. However these parties, driven by drink enhanced by rare juices that made those who drank it lose themselves in euphoria, would make the ancient emperor envious.

The head of the party, sitting on his golden throne, a gorgeous naked woman on each limb and making out with one as the others worshiped him. These women were not in their right mind, though they were too immersed in their host to care.

The young man was no ordinary host, either. His name was Manicus, the youngest son of the Emperor of Greece.

Being shy of twenty, the young son of the emperor was given his own home north of Athens that consisted of only himself and a handful of servants. Then he invited his neighbors to his parties and he pretty much went all out every other night with his parties. And being as rich and infamous as his family would be considered to anyone he was also easily prone to get bored, and despite all that he was entitled to as the Emperor's son Manicus was already getting bored.

Thus, he decided that he would look for something new to exploit for his pleasure.

Though that could wait until morning, obviously. He had his hands full right now, and he was going to enjoy it until he lost interest in it all.


	2. Chapter 2

Cape Matapan.

A place where during the Old World a great naval battle happened, a place known in the ancient times as one of the various entry points of the underworld.

This is where Alexius' journey ended, on a collection of cliffs overlooking the sea. He carried a freshly dead goat over his shoulder as he approached the edge of the furthest point in the area. A few marble pillars lined the edge of the cliffs with Greek inscriptions making the spot where the gods of the underworld resided. This place was once a shrine to the Underworld but with time and lack of devoted followers it fell into disrepair and was left to crumble. Alexius himself was the only person to have stopped by in many weeks, so much so when he touched a statue of a goddess it was caked in dust.

Having walked nonstop to reach this point, and yet he may spend more than a day waiting for what he came for. He thought about looking over the edge, to see if he could spy the black water that signaled the entrance tot he nether hell that would be called a second home to him. Instead he shook his head and tossed the carcass over the edge.

Hundreds of feet below he heard the light splash of the offering reaching the water. Then he sat down and waited, for how long he wouldn't know. He was tired from the constant walking he had endured to reach the Cape and if he had to wait to long he might as well sleep for the time being.

"And I didn't bring a nap sack to rest on. Better hurry it up-"

Right on cue, as if the gods had heard his complaining, a pair of white lights came from below the edge of the cliff and flew in the air above the man. He got on one knee as the lights came down from the sky like a pair of descending feathers. They burst like lightning, and in their place was the figure of a woman in a white strapless dress with black roses adorning her dark blue hair. The roses matched the ebony in her eyes, with no irises to speak of it was as if one was looking directly into a dark void.

At the woman's feet the grass turned brown with decay under her bare feet. She walked slowly, flanked by crows that found new perches atop the marble pillars. Their cawing signaled the arrival of the Queen of the Underworld.

Persephone walked slowly forward, noticing Alexius still sitting on the ground. She knew who he was and though her expression was blank her voice carried a sorrowful tone comprised of multiple female voices. Souls of the dead inhabited her body and she used their voices for herself, having discarded her own long ago. "Alexius."

Looking up at the woman Alexius shook his head before getting on his own two feet. He had no intention of bowing to her, he wasn't a devoted follower after all.

He was something more.

"Hello, mother."

Hearing that word, the goddess slowly extended her arms as if to welcome the man into them.

Were he the young boy that had been tossed out of the underworld years before he would have lept into his mother's embrace without hesitation. He forgot for a moment and reached out his hand to her, but where it should have connected to her cold hands it instead went through her like she wasn't even there.

He pulled his hand back, obviously pained from the loss. His mother was the same way.

Persephone lowered her hands, "It is good to see you my son. Is there anything i can do for you?"

To go to this great an effort to summon a deity of the dreaded Underworld Alexius surely had something to ask for. It wasn't everyday that the Queen herself would greet someone in the mortal realm where her power was on the same level as a mortal.

Yet the reason was simple yet powerful. "Nothing really. I just wanted to see you and father."

Though to many mortals he was a loner, lacking in compassion and cold as the ice upon Olympus' peaks, Alexius' heart warmed towards his family. His mother in particular, who had been forced to give him up when he was but a child. To live as a mortal with only a fraction of the powers he had as being the son of the gods of the Underworld. The fact that she couldn't visit him whenever she pleased was like twisting the knife in the matter.

Yet the fact that his father wasn't there didn't surprise him. "I see father isn't here."

"It is hard for him to leave the Underworld, but he hopes you are well," said the goddess. Alexius didn't doubt her words. Whenever she wasn't on her throne next to her husband Persephone and Hades had a mental link and that was how they communicated.

Alexius sighed, 'I was hoping to speak to him face to face...' He then decided to bring it up at a later date. Still, with his mother there he instead brought up what he had been doing in the last few days. Traveling around the countryside, fighting in the arena, and earning a living however he can. Because of his exile on the mortal plane without the benefit of his immortality he was forced to live from one day to the next without certainty if he would be alive when the sun rose at dawn.

Though she was the goddess of the Underworld, one would be surprised to find that when with her children Persephone asked the questions one would expect a mother to ask.

She asked if he was eating right. He said he was eating met and grain with what he could afford.

Asked him where he was living. He answered that he was living a nomadic lifestyle in the countryside north of Athens. He slept where he could.

Then she brought up the big one. "Are you in a relationship?"

Having been asked this one more than he thought possible but he had grown accustomed. His answer was short and to the point. "No. I haven't had the time or chance to have one."

Though disappointed, the goddess lowered her chin for a mere moment before raising it again. "I do hope you find a suitable companion. I don't like to see you alone."

Though unable to physically be with her son on the mortal plane the goddess had eyes everywhere to make sure he was doing well to an extent. He had lived on his own virtually his entire life and though he preferred it that way she still tried to have him make friends.

"I'll see what I can do," was his response. It was a half-hearted one at best.

A moment of silence came between them but that didn't bother them. Being in each other's presence was enough for now.

Yet Persephone had a favor to ask of her son. "Your father has had his hands full with a certain mortal near Athens..."

Raising an eyebrow Alexius turned an ear to his mother. "Who?"

"The youngest son of the Greek royal family. Manicus is his name. He has been disrespectful to your father."

The act of disrespecting the gods was usually a taboo no one in their right mind would commit. Then again not everyone was a member of the royal family.

Yet when it came to Hades, Alexius could care less. "Father earns ire just for where he lives. I don't see why I should care."

"That family thinks themselves above all, including those on and below Olympus. Their disrespect is insulting enough, but when one commits to saying the gods have no power over them, well..." Her black eyes blinked in thought. "They deserve nothing but harsh punishment. At least that is what I think."

Even though his mother wanted to lend out such punishment on a whim, Alexius knew better. "Yet you know as well as i do, even if they spew venom in the form of words you cannot harm them. As ordained by Zeus himself."

She knew this but her expression remained blank. "That is where you come in."

At first Alexius was confused and then he felt apprehension. "What are you asking me to do?"

"He has a personal villa not too far from Athens. I am told he spends his days there with some of the wildest parties the realm has ever seen. He empties brothels and entire countries' worth of food and drink during them. It's a nightly party too."

"And that bothers you?"

"No, it's what he does when he can't find any brothels to fill his palace. He goes into the countryside and takes whatever women he can find and brings them to his palace. He has even tried going after the Nereids and nymphs of the region, to some success."

"That's not a smart move," said Alexius. To dare go after the nymphs was a story as old as time itself. Beautiful maidens forever young were seen as extensions of the gods themselves and were protected as such. To violate them was a crime punishable by death. In human courts that is. The gods could not intervene to defend them otherwise.

Seeing where the pieces were falling, Alexius took a gander and made a guess at what his mother was suggesting. "You want me to go and protect the nymphs."

He guessed right. "Protect them tonight, and I will see to it that you are rewarded for your deed."

Alexius smirked a genuine smile on his normally stoic face. Sounded like a fair deal.

"Okay. I'll do it."

The ride to Athens had been short for Manicus and his entourage, but the young man's mind was on anything but the reason he was in the capital. "Mother could have sent a rider with a letter for me instead of forcing me to leave my palace to come here." As he walked through the palace shrine dedicated to Athena and home of the Imperial family one only had to glance at him to know he was restless. He didn't like dealing with the court like his parents insisted he do. Their understanding was that by the time he was able to sit on the throne as Emperor he would have experience enough to run it without need of consul.

"The Empress must have an urgent message to give if she summoned you here in person, my lord," said the soldier keeping pace with the young man. Walking alongside the young prince was the head officer of the Praetorian Guards (the personal protectors of the royal family), a man with much experience named Philious. A man with experience in many wars before Manicus had been born, the aged warrior was still sharp even in his fifties and was a force to be reckoned with. He also had a high level of tolerance with the more trivial matters, making him perfect to be the bodyguard of the prince.

"I would rather be doing my own 'politics' back at the Rest, Philious. At least there I can entertain myself and enjoy it."

The young man's disdain for imperial matters personally bothered the old guard, who had protected his father when he first took the crown thirty years prior. There was a saying that the apple never fell far from the tree, but when it came to the heir to the throne and the Emperor there was no comparison

But, being less than twenty years old, Manicus had no care for politics. He hated it. Still, when summoned by his mother to Athens he heeded her call. Not because she was the Empress or his mother, but because he knew that if he ignored her she would not let him hear the end of it.

Approaching the throne room dressed elegantly in white robes and with his gold sash tied meticulously, the young prince entered to see that the entire family was there to greet him.

His sister Octavia, aged fifteen and looking pretty as always in her white robes, had her hands on her hips as her older brother entered the room. She never hid her emotions, and right now she was testy. Like her brother she didn't like being summoned to the court, even on her mother's orders. "About time you showed up, brother. I was tired of waiting."

He approached the throne Manicus scoffed at his sister. "You have no right to complain, Octavia, given how you live here in the palace and are always on time."

The girl crossed her arms and looked away. Her pride was always a weak point for her.

"Must you two bicker when together? I say it is tiresome to hear it at all times."

This remark came from the slightly older man near the Empress' throne. Dressed in battle armor of the Legions the man raised a hand to silence the two bickering siblings. "There are times where i wonder how i am related to you two."

That man was Maximus, the oldest son of the Emperor and heir to the throne of Greece. Yet he was not to be called 'prince', having preferred the title of General. Maximus was the general of all the Legions in the northern frontier (consisting of territories in Gaul, Germania, Hispania, as well as many others), and had held the position with an iron fist and matching will since he was a teenager. Now in his older twenties the heir to the throne had just returned from Gaul where an uprising had just been put down by his own hand. He wasn't in the mood for dealing with another.

"I second that." On the pair of golden thrones, the Empress stared down at her children and let them vent before making her move. "You two have the arrogance of royals, but eloquence is something you lack."

The woman looked much younger than she actually was, being the mother of three children, she still looked to be in her twenties. The only reason for that was her blessing from the goddesses Athena and Artemis, who she devoted herself to in exchange for an eternal youthful look. Her auburn mane went to her feet, without a single strand of gray to speak of. Her dress was elegant and from head to toe she was adorned with jewels that showed off her wealth and prestige.

Empress Agnea stood up and formally addressed her children and their entourages. "Your father, the Emperor, is unable to be here due to concerns in Rome. I was the one to summon you all here."

Octavia and Manicus both looked annoyed. They loved their father but the fact that he wouldn't be joining them made them both want to leave quickly.

But their mother would not allow them to leave, and they wouldn't do so until she said so. "Now, I felt the need to remind you children that you are the part of the imperial family. Given the right to rule by the gods themselves. But you also have the responsibility to the people, to make sure they live as best they can-"

A groan was heard, though whether it came from the daughter or youngest son one could not tell. Either way the Empress was not pleased. "You are the rulers of the mortal realm of Greece. I expect you to act like it."

What followed was an extremely long lecture on history and noble values, both of which bored the hell out of the three royal children. When the time came to leave, Manicus and Octavia were the first to leave out the golden doors flanked by their personal guards and servants.

It was here that in a desire to vent himself that he spoke aloud to his sister, "That woman is so old fashioned it makes me wonder why she hasn't been put in a old people's villa."

Octavia, given wine and grapes by a female servant twice her age, sighed aloud and for once she agreed with her brother. She shooed her servant away and turned to him, "I would be one to agree, brother, though even when she eventually goes to the underworld I do not think Maximus will be much better."

This time Manicus agreed with his youngest sibling. "I think so too." But now that they were free from their mother for the time being, he could finally get back to what was more important to the young man. His pleasure palace at Adonis' Rest. "I am going to return to my villa. I suppose you will do the same?"

"I want to return post haste to my Garden, like you do at the Rest." He knew Octavia had a house of her own in the forests north of Athens surrounded by small lakes which she called the Garden. It was a private place, where no one outside of the princess' circle was allowed to go to. Not even her brothers were allowed to do so, and anyone caught breaking in was beaten to death by her guards.

"Then i bid you farewell, sister," said Manicus in the nicest tone he could bring himself to say.

Octavia nodded once and left as fast as her feet could carry her. A tinge of politeness to her sibling was all he would get.

He didn't care, anyway.

He raised a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was irritated and restless. "Philious."

Uttering the name of his Praetorian General the man stepped forward, ready to take his lord's orders.

And he received them immediately.

"I am heading back to the Rest. Send a messenger to prepare the villa for my return."

Philious nodded once, "At once my lord. Should I also suggest a new collection of women to be ready for you as well?"

Like icing on the cake. The younger man smiled. "Yes, but please, find some new ones. The women I had last night and this morning bored me. Please find some more lively girls."

"Age preference, my lord?"

"Younger the better, and make sure they are beautiful." Then, before the soldier could leave to carry out his orders, Manicus added a special detail. "Also, find at least one who is exotic and against the usual mold. That way I can enjoy her for days."


End file.
